Penny Sue Pritzker (born May 2, 1959) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist who is currently serving as the 38th United States Secretary of Commerce. She is the founder of PSP Capital Partners and Pritzker Realty Group.[1] She is also co-founder of Artemis Real Estate Partners.[2] She is a member of the Pritzker family.

In 2012, Chicago magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful Chicagoans.[3] In 2011, the Forbes 400 list of America's wealthiest showed her as the 263rd richest person in the U.S., estimated net worth of US $1.8511 billion,[4] and the world's 651st richest person. In 2009, Forbes named Pritzker as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

According to the FDIC, by 2011, the uninsured depositors of Superior had each received 81% of their uninsured monies, in addition to the $100,000 each previously received of their insured amount.[19] Industry experts have criticized the Pritzkers in regard to Superior.[20] Consumer advocates and government investigators asserted Superior "engaged in unsound financial activities and predatory lending practices."[13] Responding to the Wall Street Journal, Pritzker noted she had no ownership in the bank, either direct or indirect, and that the bank's reasons for failure "were complex, including changes in accounting practices, auditing failures, reversals in regulatory positions and general economic conditions."[13] She said the bank complied with "fair lending laws" and ethical business practices.[13] A 2001 Business Week article described the bank's other owner, Alvin Dworman, as the more dominant partner in its operation as a result of agreements made by Jay Pritzker.[14] Quoted in the New York Times, a Pritzker family friend observed Pritzker was trapped in a deal of her uncle's making: "Penny got sucked into this…this was really the legacy of Jay"[21] Jay Pritzker died in 1999.[22]

Government and political involvement[edit]

She was national co-chair of Obama for America 2012 and was the national finance chair of President Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.[23] A campaign under her direction reached out to small donors. On November 20, 2008, CNN reported that Pritzker was Barack Obama's top choice for Commerce Secretary, quoting "multiple" unnamed sources.[24] However, it was later reported that Pritzker took herself out of the running.[25][26][27] According to the Chicago Tribune, she withdrew her name from consideration "due to obligations to her family, for whom she was still overseeing billions in assets, and the financial crisis, which was putting some of those assets at risk."